This invention relates in general to door hanger assemblies and deals more particularly with an improved hanger assembly for a vertically hung, power operated sliding door for a rapid transit railway passenger car or the like and which may be of either straight or vertically contoured type. Such doors are subjected to heavy usage, abuse, vandalism and hostile environments. Dirt, metallic particles produced by car braking, and other atmospheric contaminants encountered in subway tunnels, for example, which accumulates on exposed bearing surfaces causes undue war and adversely affects door operation.
A vertically hung contoured door presents difficult installation and adjustment problems, because the center of gravity of such a door is usually not located in vertical alignment with the hanger assembly which supports it. Adjustment problems are also encountered with bi-parting doors having co-engaging edge seals which must seal properly to maintain the integrity of car climate control systems.
A typical rapid transit railway passenger car may have as many as eighteen individually hung doors. Failure of any rail car door to function properly usually requires that the door be locked in closed position until the car can be removed from service for maintenance or repair, which poses an obvious safety hazard and may disrupt normal scheduling.
The general aim of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger assembly for a door of the aforedescribed type and which is durable, reliable, simple to install and adjust, and overcomes the various problems hereinbefore discussed.